EARTHQUAKES

Teacher Guide
including
Lesson Plans, Student Readers, and More Information

Lesson 1 - General Earthquake Information

Lesson 2 - Earthquake Legends and Science
Lesson 3 - Plotting Earthquake Lab
Lesson 4 - New Madrid, Missouri
Lesson 5 - Earthquake Damage

designed to be used as an Electronic Textbook

in class or at home
materials can be obtained from the Math/Science Nucleus

Math/Science Nucleus 2001

Creating materials to be used in the classroom requires an understanding of the

subject. One person is usually not equipped to create a dynamic learning program
for students. The author would like to acknowledge the following persons or
organizations who have contributed to this chapter.

U.S. Geological Survey

Joy Lopez, M.A., teacher
Scott Hassler, Ph.D. Geologist

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EARTH SCIENCES - EARTHQUAKES

Lesson 1- GENERAL EARTHQUAKE INFORMATION
MATERIALS:
reader
worksheet
glue
crayons
scissors

Objective: Students learn the causes of

earthquakes.

Teacher note
This reader gives students a scientific background of earthquakes. The
different types of energy that are released through seismic waves are emphasized.
The reader also illustrates the different types of faults that can be caused by this
energy.
Students are asked to make a fault model and to compare different types of
motion.

Imagine you are lying on a couch watching

television. Suddenly the television set starts to rattle
back and forth. At first you think it must be a large
truck or a low flying plane. However, instead of
fading away, the shaking gets stronger. Books and
pictures start falling off the walls. Maybe they fall on
you. You try to stand, but the shaking is so strong
that you cannot balance yourself. You end up on the
floor and you hide under a strong table. A loud
roaring noise vibrates in your ears, almost deafening.
The power goes out. The television falls over. You
hear dishes breaking in the kitchen. The room fills
with dust. Gradually the shaking stops, and you can
stand up again. You run outside. Trees have fallen
over. Power lines litter the street. A nearby building
has collapsed.
Experiencing an earthquake of Magnitude 7 is
one of the most frightening events you may ever
experience.
But how can the Earth be so Eight story building in Caracas,
Venezuela.
destructive?
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The Earth is not just a solid rock,

rotating on its axis. Scientists have
determined that the inside of the Earth is
composed of different layers. The core,
mantle, and crust. The interaction of the
crust and the mantle causes many of our
deep earthquakes. The upper mantle
c o n t a in s a n a re a c a lle d t h e
asthenosphere that is partially molten.
The area above the asthenosphere is
called the lithosphere. The lithosphere is
floating of the asthenosphere in large
blocks which act together.
These
blocks are what scientists refer to as
plates. The plates move slowly due to
several reasons including convection, gravity, rotation, and other forces.

A convection current is when a concentrated area heats up

the bottom. Warmer rocks move upwards causing a 3dimensional circular motion. Heating up a beaker of water causes
the same reaction. The water near the flame warms quicker and
moves upward, displacing the cooler water on top. The cooler
water is heavier and sinks. The cycle is then repeated and
repeated. If you think of convection currents within the mantle this
movement causes
stress on the crust of
the Earth.
Continents are
composed of lighter material and seems to
never reenter the convection current. It would
be similar to oil floating on top of the boiling
water. It always stays on the top.

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There is also other stresses on the lithosphere caused by

the very fact that our Earth rotates on its axis. The equator moves
much faster than the poles. Its
like when a basketball player
can balance a spinning ball on
its finger. The player has
found the point of the axis that
is not moving and balances it.
As you go to the equator of
Earth from the rotational axis
you travel from 0 miles per
hour to 1000 miles per hour.
On Earth we dont feel it
because of other physical
constraints, but to an Alien looking down at us. Well,
a polar bear on the North Pole and penguins on the
South Pole would be standing still, while people in New
York would be moving about 600 miles per hour, even
if they were standing still in traffic. So what does this
have to do with earthquakes?

These basic stresses caused by rotation and

convection is just too much for the lithosphere. It
relieves its stress by cracking or better known as
faults. However, the movement along the faults
cause energy to be released called seismic waves.
When the waves reach the surface of the Earth it
shakes, causing earthquakes.
Earthquakes are caused by the sudden
movement and fracturing of rock masses along preexisting faults. A fault is a broken surface within the
Earths crust. The point on the fault at which the
displacement
begins is called the
focus of
the
earthquake. The
point on the
surface of the earth directly above the focus is the
epicenter.
Faults can be caused by pull apart
(extensional), compressional, or slip slide (transform)
motion.
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Seismic waves travel throughout the Earth. There are many different types of
waves that can be distinguished. There are two major types P and S waves.
The first type are called P-waves or
primary waves, because they are the fastest
type of seismic wave and are the first waves
that a seismogram records. The P wave can
be described as a push-pull wave, because it
moves by contracting and expanding material
along a horizontal path. A P-wave travels
through a material as a compressional force.
The second major type of seismic wave
is called an S-wave. S-waves are shear
waves. S-waves are slower than P-waves.
The particle motion in shear waves is
perpendicular to the direction of the wave.

The energy released during an earthquake

causes the ground to shake. If you are close to the
epicenter of an earthquake, the shaking is usually more
severe than if you were farther away. This change
occurs for many reasons. Most important, seismic
energy dissipates as it travels through rocks, due to
friction and other effects. In addition, the different types
of seismic waves travel at different speeds. This means
that close to the epicenter of an earthquake, all the
waves arrive at about the same time, and the ground
shakes very hard for a short period of time. Further
from
the
epicenter, the
fastest waves arrive ahead of the slower waves.
This spreading out of energy makes the shaking is
less intense.
The seismic waves generated by an
earthquake can be recorded and measured on a
seismograph.
The record produced by a
seismograph is called a seismogram.

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ACTIVITY -FAULT MODEL

I. Make model
1. Color the fault model that is included according to the color key provided.
2. Paste or glue the fault model onto a piece of construction paper.
3. Cut out the fault model and fold each side down to form a box with the drawn
features on top. Make sure you fold all parts before you glue or tape.
4. Tape or glue the corners together. This box is a three dimensional model of the
top layers of the Earth's crust.
5. The dashed lines on your model represent a fault. Carefully cut along the dashed
lines. You will end up with two pieces. You may wish to have your students tape or glue
a piece of construction paper on the side of the two fault blocks along the fault face. This
will help with the demonstration.
II. Illustrate fault motion
This exercise has students develop a model of a normal fault. After you make the
fault model from directions above, illustrate a normal fault.
1.Instructions to students: Locate points A and B on your model. Move point B so that
it is next to Point A. Observe your model from the side (its cross-section). You have just
observed a normal fault. Are there other ways faults can cause movement?
This fault model was develop by Tao Rho Alpha of the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo
Park. More information on how to use the material can be found on the following website.
http://www.usgs.gov/education/learnweb/ESLesson1.html#Background

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Fault sheet

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EARTH SCIENCES - EARTHQUAKES

Lesson 2 - EARTHQUAKE LEGENDS AND SCIENCE
MATERIALS:
reader

Objective: Students learn about the legends

and science begin earthquakes.

Teacher note
Stories that are sometimes bizarre are created when information is lacking.
It was not until the last century that scientists started to understand the causes of
earthquakes. Students in this reader learn about early legends and also about what
geologists understand about earthquakes.
You can extend these lessons easily by having students write their own
legend of what they think an earthquake is about. Have them illustrate their legend
and have students vote on which story is the most creative.

Throughout the ages, the fear of earthquakes has

been justified.
Words like destructive and
catastrophic are always used to describe the energy
released by an earthquake. However the Earth, with all
its beautiful mountains and valleys, depends on these
processes to create the landforms that we see.
Earthquakes are a natural
way for the upper portion of
the Earth to release energy
due to stress caused by
movement internally and
externally.
A geologist can look
at the features of the Earth
and determine how they
were formed. For example,
in the San Francisco Bay area you have series of parallel
mountains and valleys. This is a good sign that these
represent faults that have occurred through time.
However, when you dont understand what cause these
features, your mind can go wild! Myths and legends are born.
Math/Science Nucleus 2001

Early civilizations had no idea what the shaking was

all about. Myths and legends started to develop in order to
justify this unknown shaking. In Mexico, El Diablo, the devil,
makes giant rips in the Earth from the inside. He and his
devilish friends use the
cracks when they want to
come and stir up trouble
on Earth. In West Africa,
the Earth is considered a
flat disk, held up on one
side by an enormous
mountain and on the other by a giant. The giant's wife
holds up the sky. The Earth trembles when he stops to
hug her.

In India an earthquake legend has the Earth

held up by four elephants that stand on the back of
a turtle. The turtle is balanced on top of a cobra.
When any of these animals move, the Earth
trembles and shakes.
Between Bangladesh and China in a land
called Assam, there is a race of people living
inside the Earth. From time to time, they shake the
ground to find out if anyone is still living on the surface. When children feel a quake, they
should shout "Alive, Alive!" so the people inside the Earth will know they are there and
then they will stop shaking.

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Early people from Mozambique claimed the Earth is a living creature. The Earth
has the same kinds of problems people have. Sometimes, it gets sick with fever and chills
and we can feel its shaking.
Once a Chickasaw chief (American Indian) was in love with a Choctaw princess.
He was young and handsome, but he had a twisted foot, so his people called him
Reelfoot. When the princess' father refused to give Reelfoot his daughter's hand, the chief
and his friends kidnapped her and
began to celebrate their marriage.
The Great Spirit was angry and
stomped his foot. The shock
caused the Mississippi River to
overflow its banks and drown the
entire wedding party.
The god Loki from
Scandinavia is being punished for
the murder of his brother, Baldur. He is tied to a rock in an underground cave. Above his
face is a serpent dripping poison, which Loki's sister catches in a bowl. From time to time,
she has to go away to empty the bowl. Then the poison falls on Loki's face. He twists and
wiggles to avoid it, and the ground shakes up above him.

Early people from New Zealand saw Mother Earth with a child in her womb, the
young god Ru. When he stretches and kicks as babies do, he causes earthquakes.
The East African saw a giant fish carrying a stone on
his back. A cow stands on a stone, balancing the Earth on one
of her horns. From time to time, her neck begins to ache, and
she tosses the globe from one horn to the other.
West Africans claimed that a Giant carries the Earth on
his head. All the plants that grow on the Earth are his hair, and
people and animals are the insects that crawl through his hair.
He usually sits and faces the east, but once in a while he turns
to the west and then back to the east. This causes the Earth
to shake.

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ACTIVITY - HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT

Talk to several adults who may not understand the science behind earthquakes. Record
their information. Try to weave a myth from their discussions. Remember a myth can be
based on some truth, but can also be entirely fictional. Draw a picture in the space
provided.

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EARTH SCIENCES - EARTHQUAKES

Lesson 3 - PLOTTING EARTHQUAKES LAB
MATERIALS:
reader
ruler
compass (math) optional
worksheet

Objective: Students interpret

magnitude and intensity.

earthquake

Teacher note
Students learn the difference between intensity and magnitude of an
earthquake. The intensity is the severity of ground motion at a specific location.
We use the modified Mercalli Scale to measure the intensity using Roman numerals
from I-XII. The magnitude of an earthquake is a mathematical measurement of the
amount of energy released. A revised form of the Richter scale is used today and
uses numbers from 1-10. An earthquake has many intensities depending on where
the earthquake is located. However, an earthquake has only one magnitude.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides scientific information on
earthquakes to teachers, community, and students. The USGS is the agency
involved with understanding the science of earthquake (seismology) and collects
data throughout the world. In the reader below students are asked to look at the
USGS website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov) to look for earthquakes that have
occurred recently. You may want them to identify 5 to 10 different earthquakes and
list the magnitude found on the website. Make sure they record the date and place.
Also included is a classic worksheet on determining position of earthquakes
by reading a seismogram. All seismograms are labeled in units that represent
Greenwich time. It avoids the confusion of local dates and times. Each dot and long
dash represent one minute. This will be used to determine the arrival of P and S
waves. Provide students with a compass to help make it easy to measure the radius
to construct a circle from the given locations.
ANSWERS: Prince Rupert, British Columbia; C (A) time lab: 3 min, 50 sec;
km: 230 sec x 8= 1840 km; New Orleans, Louisiana (B) time lab: 3 min 40 sec; km:
300 sec x 8 km = 2400 km; Honolulu, Hawaii (C) time lab: 5 min, 40 sec; km 340 sec
x 8 km = 2720 km. The epicenter is somewhere in central California.

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All earthquakes dont shake the

Earth the same. People can feel
different
shaking
intensities at
different locations. Some earthquakes
shake everything (high intensity), and
others are not felt at all (low intensity).
It is important to compare these
earthquakes so we can determine how
to prevent damage.
Before seismographs were
invented different methods of
recording an earthquake were used.
In Italy, Giuseppe Mercalli created a
12 point scale in 1902 which was based on stories of damage from people.
Today, the Modified Mercalli Scale represents the local effect or damage caused
by an earthquake. The "intensity" reported at different points generally decreases away
from the earthquake epicenter. The intensity ranges, from I - XII, is always expressed in
Roman numerals. For example, an earthquake of intensity II would be barely felt by
people, while heavy damage would be assigned a X.

Another type of scale called the Richter scale is a

mathematical measurement of the energy released as
measured by a seismograph. It is actually a measurement
of the size of the waves produced by an earthquake. The
Richter Scale, was developed by Charles F. Richter of the
California Institute of Technology in 1935. This scale is the
best known scale for the measuring of magnitude (M) of
earthquakes. The scale is logarithmic. A magnitude 7, for
example, records a disturbance with ground motion 10
times as large as a recording of 6 magnitude earthquake.
The energy released by an earthquake of M 7,however, is
approximately 30 times that released by an earthquake of
M 6. An earthquake of M 8 releases 900 times (30x30) the
energy of an earthquake of M 6. There is only one
magnitude for an earthquake using the Richter scale.
As the Richter scale does not adequately
differentiate between the largest earthquakes, a new
Charles F. Richter
"moment magnitude" scale is being used by seismologists
today to provide a better measure. On the moment magnitude scale, the San Francisco
earthquake is estimated at magnitude 7.7 compared to an estimated Richter magnitude
of 8.3.
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Seismograms record the energy emitted by seismic or earthquake waves that

radiate from the focus (point at which
earthquake begins). Seismograms are
created by machines called seismographs.
Seismograms are used by seismologists
(scientists who study earthquakes) to
mathematically describe the magnitude of
an earthquake.
Earthquakes generate many different
types of seismic waves. Two major types
are P (push/pull, compressional, or primary)
and S (shear or secondary). Seismograms
will record P-wave arrivals before S-wave
arrivals. Surface waves are also generated
that travel on surface of the crust.

Scientists of the U.S.

Geological Survey (USGS)
have operated seismographic
stations throughout the world
for more than 35 years. They
work with other scientists in
over 80 countries in the
Global Seismographic
Network. The principal use of
seismograph networks is to
locate earthquakes. Although
it is possible to infer a general
location for an event from the
records of a single station, it
is most accurate to use three
or more stations.
When an earthquake occurs, data from the seismographs feeds into a major
research center, where the seismograms are analyzed. This analysis determines where
the earthquake occurred, and determines its magnitude. Major earthquake data centers
in the United States include Menlo Park and Los Angeles, both in California, and Boulder,
Colorado.

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Given a single seismic station, the seismogram record will yield a measurement of
the S-P time arrival (seconds from when P arrived to when S arrived). The distance
between the station and the event can be calculated. Lets look at an example of an
earthquake that occurred somewhere in the United States and determine an approximate
location.
We will use 3 stations including Prince Rupert, British Columbia (A), New Orleans,
Louisiana (B) and Honolulu, Hawaii (C). The arrival of the P and S waves have already
been determined in the graph provided. Subtract the S arrival from the P arrive and
determine the Time Lag and record the information.
Multiply the seconds of S-P time by 8 km/s for the kilometers of distance and record
them on the graph. Use the scale and draw a circle on a map around the station's location
using a compass, with a radius equal to the distance. With the S-P time from a second
station, the circle around that station will narrow the possible locations down to two points.
It is only with a third station's S-P time that you can draw a third circle that should identify
which of the two previous possible points is the real one.
Can you determine where the earthquakes epicenter is located?
Time of P
Arrival

Time of S
Arrival

hr

min

sec

hr

min

sec

Prince Rupert, BC

11

57

40

12

01

30

New Orleans, LA

11

58

40

12

03

40

Honolulu, HA

11

59

30

12

05

10

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Time Lag
min

sec

Distance
Epicenter
(sec x 8km)

16

ACTIVITY - LOCATE THE EPICENTER OF THIS MAGNITUDE 7.7 EARTHQUAKE

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ACTIVITY - LOCATING EARTHQUAKES USING THE INTERNET

Earthquakes occur everyday throughout the world. On the following websites locate
10 earthquakes in the United States and 10 earthquakes from around the world. Record
their information on the worksheet.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/activity/present.shtml

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/activity/worlds.html

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ACTIVITY - RECENT EARTHQUAKES

Using the websites provided by your instructor locate 10 earthquakes in the United
States and 10 throughout the world. List the magnitude and other comments of
interest.

place

magnitude

comments

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.

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EARTH SCIENCES - EARTHQUAKES

Lesson 4 - NEW MADRID FAULT ZONE
MATERIALS:
reader

Objective: Students
historical earthquake.

explore

an

Teacher note
The New Madrid Fault Zone is not considered to be in earthquake country.
However, the earthquakes of 1811-12 caused many geologists to think about the
causes of earthquake. This area in the midwestern part of the United States is not
on a plate boundary nor near volcanic activity. It lies on a suture of an ancient plate.
Ancient faults that have been buried through the ages are still zones of weakness
and are still capable of producing dangerous earthquakes.
Instruct students to read the information and then have a discussion about
what it would be like to experience a shaking that you have no idea what caused it.
Students should transport their thoughts to early pioneers living in the area.
For more information on the New Madrid Fault Zone we recommend the
following sites:
http://www.uky.edu/ArtsSciences/Geology/webdogs/virtky/index.html/ - an excellent
description of the New Madrid Fault Zone -its history, current activity, and future
hazards.
http://hsv.com/genlintr/newmadrd/ - another good New Madrid Link
http://www.rootsweb.com/~armissi2/earthquk.htm - the full text of the letter written
by Eliza Bryan.

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The New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811 to 1812

In the United States, most earthquakes occur along the active plate boundaries in
California, Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. If you live in one of these states, you may
have felt an earthquake. However, several of the
largest earthquakes ever recorded in the United
States occurred in the Midwest, far from any plate
boundary.
These earthquakes took place in an
area called the New Madrid Fault Zone, named
after the town of New Madrid, Missouri. Over a
three-month period in the winter of 1811 to 1812,
the New Madrid Fault Zone was struck by three
huge earthquakes estimated to be greater than
magnitude 8.0. Aftershocks were felt in the
region for more than a year. These included
seven aftershocks between magnitude 7 and 8,
ten between magnitude 6 and 7, and eighty-nine
between magnitude 4 and 5. Many aftershocks
were strong enough to ring church bells on the Modified Mercalli Scale, based on maps in W.
Atkinson, 1989, The Next New Madrid
east coast of the United States.
Earthquake, Southern Illinois, University Press

The 1811 to 1812 New Madrid earthquakes released the most seismic energy of
any known event in the continental United States. More energy was released than in any
one earthquake in California. The only larger event in North America was the Great
Alaska earthquake of 1964.
The New Madrid earthquakes caused great destruction in the Central United States.
The earthquakes devastated large areas of
the Central United States. Fault movement
caused the course of the Mississippi River to
change. In other areas the ground was
broken and uplifted more than 30 feet.
Cracks in the ground opened up that were
too wide for a horse to jump. Homes and
other buildings up to hundreds of miles
away, were totally destroyed. An eyewitness
account of the earthquakes by Eliza Bryan,
a settler who lived in the area, tells a story of
destruction.
A woodcut showing damage during the 1812 New
Madrid earthquake.

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On the 16th of December, 1811, about two o'clock, am, we were visited by a violent shock of
an earthquake, accompanied by a very awful noise resembling loud but distant thunder, but more
hoarse and vibrating, which was followed in a few minutes by the complete saturation of the
atmosphere, with sulphurious vapor, causing total darkness. The screams of the affrighted inhabitants
running to and fro, not knowing where to go, or what to do - the cries of the fowls and beasts of every
species - the cracking of trees falling, and the roaring of the Mississippi - the current of which was
retrograde for a few minutes, owing as is supposed, to an irruption in its bed -- formed a scene truly
horrible. From that time until about sunrise, a number of lighter shocks occurred; at which time one still
more violent than the first took place, with the same accompaniments as the first, and the terror which
had been excited in everyone, and indeed in all animal nature, was now, if possible doubled. The
inhabitants fled in every direction to the country, supposing (if it can be admitted that their minds can
be exercised at all) that there was less danger at a distance from, than near to the river. In one person,
a female, the alarm was so great that she fainted, and could not be recovered.
There were several shocks of a day, but lighter than those already mentioned until the 23d of
January, 1812, when one occurred as violent as the severest of the former ones, accompanied by the
same phenomena as the former. From this time until the 4th of February the earth was in continual
agitation, visibly waving as a gentle sea. On that day there was another shock, nearly as hard as the
proceeding ones. Next day four such, and on the 7th about 4 o'clock am, a concussion took place so
much more violent than those that had proceeded it, that it was dominated the hard shock. The awful
darkness of the atmosphere, which was formerly saturated with sulphurious vapor, and the violence of
the tempestuous thundering noise that accompanied it, together with all of the other phenomena
mentioned as attending the former ones, formed a scene, the description of which would require the
most sublimely fanciful imagination.
At first the Mississippi seemed to recede from its banks, and its waters gathering up like a
mountain, leaving for the moment many boats, which were here on their way to New Orleans, on bare
sand, in which time the poor sailors made their escape from them. It then rising fifteen to twenty feet
perpendicularly, and expanding, as it were, at the same moment, the banks were overflowed with the
retrograde current, rapid as a torrent - the boats which before had been left on the sand were now torn
from their moorings, and suddenly driven up a little creek, at the mouth of which they laid, to the
distance in some instances, of nearly a quarter of a mile. The river falling immediately, as rapid as it
had risen, receded in its banks again with such violence, that it took with it whole groves of young
cotton-wood trees, which ledged its borders. They were broken off which such regularity, in some
instances, that persons who had not witnessed the fact, would be difficultly persuaded, that is has not
been the work of art. A great many fish were left on the banks, being unable to keep pace with the
water. The river was literally covered with the wrecks of boats, and 'tis said that one was wrecked in
which there was a lady and six children, all of whom were lost.
In all the hard shocks mentioned, the earth was horribly torn to pieces - the surface of
hundreds of acres, was, from time to time, covered over, in various depths, by the sand which issued
from the fissures, which were made in great numbers all over this country, some of which closed up
immediately after they had vomited forth their sand and water, which it must be remarked, was the
matter generally thrown up. In some places, however, there was a substance somewhat resembling
coal, or impure stone coal, thrown up with the sand. It is impossible to say what the depths of the
fissures or irregular breaks were; we have reason to believe that some of them are very deep.

Eliza Bryan

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If there is no plate boundary in the middle of the

United States, why did these earthquakes take place?
Geologists are beginning to understand the answer.
The New Madrid Fault Zone is part of an ancient plate
boundary. In this area, the North American Plate tried
to form a divergent plate boundary about 500 million
years ago. The splitting stopped before new plates
could form. The faults in the New Madrid Zone are
remnants of this old event. Earthquakes occur
because the North American Plate is still settling
down.
The faults in the New Madrid Zone do not reach
the Earths surface.
They are buried beneath
thousands of feet of rock and sediment deposited by
the Mississippi River. Geologists have located them by
looking at the patterns of earthquakes in the zone.
This satellite photograph shows major
cities near the New Madrid Fault Zone.

When these catastrophic earthquakes took place, the central United States was
sparsely inhabited by settlers. Since then, this area has been developed extensively.
Several major cities, including Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, Little Rock,
Arkansas, St. Louis, Missouri, and Louisville, Kentucky are within 250 miles of the fault
zone. This is well within the area devastated in 1811 to
1812.
Geologists have thus studied, and continue to
study, the New Madrid Fault Zone. It is clear from their
work that a devastating earthquake could happen
again. As the map to the right shows, little earthquakes
happen all the time. In addition, the 1811 to 1812
earthquakes have not been the only significant events
in the New Madrid Fault Zone. An earthquake in
January, 1843 registered a 6.0 magnitude, while on
October 31, 1895 a magnitude 6.2 quake struck.
Current estimates suggest a magnitude 6.0
earthquake should occur before the year 2040. This is
within your lifetime! Luckily, it seems that larger,
destructive events like those in the 19th century will not Earthquakes from 1969-1994.
happen again for several hundred years.

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EARTH SCIENCES - EARTHQUAKES

Lesson 5 - EARTHQUAKES DAMAGE
MATERIALS:
reader
worksheet

Objective: Students learn historic magnitude

damage of earthquakes.

Teacher note
Earthquake education is important in both school and society. All 50 states
can experience small earthquakes, and 39 states are subject to a moderate to major
seismic risk. The mobility of our society makes the number of individuals who may
one day experience a damaging earthquake is even greater.
Disasters caused by earthquakes are an excellent way to introduce
earthquakes preparedness. As students read the material, they will see that not all
major earthquakes are catastrophic. Some cities that build homes of inappropriate
materials will have more deaths than cities that with strict building code. Also
remote areas with large earthquakes may cause little human damage.
Preparedness at a school site is a good place to start. Discuss with your
school administration if there is a plan in case of a disaster. In many states, the
schools become the logical place for meeting and to handle people who may have
lost their home. In your own classroom you should consider an escape route.
Science labs are usually more vulnerable especially if they have flammable liquids
and poisons. Glassware should be secured.
Some of the geographic areas mentioned in this section may not be familiar
to students. Go over with students on a map where these areas are located. For
more information look at http://neic.usgs.gov which is the website of the National
Earthquake Information Center of the U.S. Geological Survey.

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Seismic waves radiate outward from the focus of an earthquake throughout the
Earth. These waves can cause damage in some areas, but not in others. Many factors
can affect the amount of damage. Distance from an earthquake focus is important.
Seismic energy is lost as waves travel through the Earth, so the further you are from the
epicenter of an earthquake, the less shaking you will feel. The type of ground through
which the waves travel is another factor. For instance, if the waves shake sand particles,
the energy will tend to make the particles settle. This may cause the Earths surface
to sink with large movements, damaging human-made structures. In contrast, if the
waves pass through hard, solid rock, no settling occurs, and the movement is less.

Collapse of two layered freeway in a 1989

earthquake in the San Francisco Bay area.

The largest earthquakes are not always the most disastrous. For example you
can have a large earthquake of a magnitude 9.0 with little damage because it is located
in a remote area. But a 6.0 can cause death to thousands of lives if it occurs in an area
with poor construction and
high
concentration of people. Imagine being
a survivor. Think about how long it would
take to heal a family that lost family
members, houses, jobs, and friends. The
overwhelming helplessness of a disaster is
something you hope you never feel!
The 10 largest earthquakes from
1900 to 2000 are located on the world
map. Notice that they are located in an
area referred to as the Ring of Fire around
the edges of the Pacific Ocean. Lets learn
about several historic disasters.
1. Chile, 9.5; 2. Alaska, 9.2; 3. Russia, 9.0; 4. Ecuador, 8.8;
5. Alaska, 8.8; 6. Kuril Islands, 8.7; 7. Alaska, 8.7; 8. India, 8.6; 9.;
Chile, 8.5 10. Indonesia, 8.5 (from U.S. Geological Survey)

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The largest recorded earthquake was located in southern Chile on May 22, 1960.
A 9.5 magnitude earthquake is a very violent movement, with more energy released than
an atomic bomb. A person could not stand up and would be tossed around. Amazingly,
only 2,000 people were killed and 3,000 injured with 2,000,000 homeless as most
homes collapsed. The influence of this earthquake caused a large tsunami in Hawaii (61
deaths), Japan (138 deaths) and the
Phillippines (32 deaths).
This
earthquakes caused elevation
changes as far as the west coast of
the United States.
The largest earthquake
recorded in the United States, a 9.2
in March 27, 1964 was centered in
Prince William Sound.
The
Government Hill Grade School,
sitting astride a huge landslide, was
almost a total loss. This great
earthquake and tsunami took 125
lives and caused about $311 million
Government Hill Grade School cracked into pieces.
in property loss.

A 9.0 earthquake in 1952 located in Kamchatka, Russia caused severe shaking

and a tsunami caused damage on Hawaiian Islands. Only 6 cows were reported killed
with no human lives lost.
A
catastrophic
magnitude 8.8 earthquake off
the coast of Ecuador and
Colombia in 1906 generated
a strong tsunami that killed
about 1000 people. It was
observed all along the coast
of Central America and as far
north as San Francisco and
west to Japan. This was not
associated with the 1906
earthquake in San Francisco,
which was only a 8.1 but
caused more lost of lives and
A town in Peru destroyed in a 5.5 earthquake.
damage.

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In 1957 an 8.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in the Andreanof Islands,

Alaska.This great earthquake destroyed two bridges on Adak Island, damaged houses,
and left a 4.5 meter crack in a road. A tsunami caused by this earthquake, hit the islands
of Hawaii, where is destroyed two villages and inflicted about $5 million in property
damage on Oahu and Kauai
Islands.
A 8.7 magnitude
earthquake hit the Kuril
Islands in November, 1958.
The Japanese government
evacuated some of its coastal
towns, but their fears of a
giant tsunami never
happened! In 1965 another
8.7 magnitude earthquake on
Rat Islands, Alaska caused
only $10,000 damage in this
remote area.
Kobe, Japan (1995)

A 8.6 earthquake struck an area near Tibet in 1950 which destroyed 70 villages
with 156 casualties due to landslides. The Brahmaputra River was blocked causing
s e ve r a l vi l l a g e s t o b e
submerged with a lost of 532
lives 8 days after the
earthquake.
A magnitude 8.5
earthquake in 1922 occurred in
the southern part of Atacama
Province, central Chile. Locally,
a tsunami caused extensive
damage in several coastal
Chilean cities that killed more
then 100 people. Another 8.5
earthquake was felt in Indonesia
in 1938, with few deaths.
1906 San Francisco Earthquake is well known throughout the
world, but is neither the largest nor most destructive.

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ACTIVITY - COMPARING EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE

Part I. After you read the information on the 10 largest magnitude earthquakes,
determine the damage caused by each and record the information in the space provided.
Part II. Look at the chart of the 10 most largest human disasters. All of these
earthquakes where less than 8.0 M earthquake. Answer the following questions based
on both lists.
1. Which area has the largest earthquakes?
2. Which country has had the most deaths?
3. Explain why the countries with the most deaths are not the largest earthquakes?
(Hint: Construction of buildings.)
10 LARGEST MAGNITUDE IN THE MODERN WORLD
place

year

magnitude

Chile

1960

9.5

Alaska

1964

9.2

Russia

1952

9.0

Ecuador

1906

8.8

Alaska

1957

8.8

Kuril
Islands

1958

8.7

Alaska

1965

8.7

India

1950

8.6

Chile

1922

8.5

10

Indonesia

1938

8.5

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29

10 LARGEST LOSS OF HUMAN LIFE THROUGHOUT HISTORY

(all earthquakes lower than an 8.0 magnitude earthquake)
place

year

killed

Syria, Upper Egypt

Jul 5, 1201

1,100,000

Huaxian, China

Jan 23, 1556

830,000

Tangshan, China

July 27, 1976

655,237

Calcutta, Inda

Oct 11, 1737

300,000

Anhwei, China

1662

300,000

Sichuan, China

Sept 8, 1850

300,000

Allepo, Syria

Sept 8, 1138

230,000

Qumis, Iran

Dec 22, 856

200,000 ?

Jeddo, Japan

1703

200,000

10

Gansu, China

Dec 16, 1920

200,000

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Earth Science - EARTHQUAKES - Unit Test

Part 1. Definitions Match the number of the term or concept in Column 1 with the
letter of the correct definition in Column 2.
Column 1

Column 2

1. focus

a. Push pull or primary wave

2. Fault

b. magnitude

3. Chile

c. part of upper mantle

4. Prince William
Sound, Alaska

d. thickness of plates

5. S wave

e. location of largest U.S. earthquake

6. Richter Scale

f. Surface break of an earthquake

7. Mercalli scale

g. Compression or secondary wave

8. P wave

h. location of largest earthquake measured (9.5)

9. Asthenosphere

i. The point where seismic waves begin

10. Lthosphere

j. intensity

Part 2. Multiple Choice Choose the best answer to complete each statement.
1. Which is not a layer of the Earth?
a. mantle
b. inner core
c. trench
d. crust
2. Plates are part of the
a. crust and upper mantle
b. lower mantle
c. mantle and upper core
d. crust and entire mantle
3. Continents are not pulled into the mantle because
a. they are fixed
b. they are hard
c. they float
d. they dont fit

4. Which is not a stress caused by movement in the lithosphere?

a. extension
b. compressional
c. transform motion
d. water
5. The first seismic waves to be recorded is
a. B wave
b. P wave
c. C wave
d. S wave
6. A record produced by a seismograph is called
a. a gram
b. a seismogram
c an earthquake
d. a record
7. Myths about the reasons for earthquakes are due to
a. not knowing the scientific reason
b. fear
c. looking for an explanation
d. all of the above
8. Guiseppe Mercalli (Mercalli Scale) created a 12 point earthquake scale that
measures
a. magnitude
b. force of the earthquake
c. intensity of local damage
d. none of these
9. The Richter scale measures
a. mathematical measurement of energy released
b. force
c. intensity
d. modified Mercalli
10. The New Madrid Earthquake in the southern part of the United States is significant
because it
a. is the only place where earthquakes occur in U.S.
b. is on a plate boundary
c. is not on a plate boundary
d. none of these

ANSWERS:
PART I.
1. I
2. F
3. H
4. E
5. G
6. B
7. J
8. A
9. C
10. D
PART II.
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. D
5. B
6. B
7. D
8. C
9. A
10. C